1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to buoyancy power-generating devices and particularly to those devices which utilize electrolysis to produce the buoyant power.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Various devices are known in the art which attempt to capitalize on the great potential of buoyancy energy, with varying degrees of success. Several of such devices are disclosed in the following patents:
______________________________________ 211,143 Pogarty Jan. 7, 1879 2,513,136 Borsos June 27, 1950 3,194,008 Baumgartner July 13, 1965 3,715,885 Schur Feb. 13, 1973 3,857,242 Gilmore Dec. 31, 1974 3,907,454 Punton Sept. 23, 1975 3,918,827 Conn et al. Nov. 11, 1975 3,934,964 Diamond Jan. 27, 1976 ______________________________________
However, only one of the above devices attempts to generate buoyancy power by harnessing the hydrogen and oxygen gases produced in electrolysis. The Borsos patent discloses a sealed container in which a single column of receptacles affixed to a single chain are employed to capture both the hydrogen and oxygen produced at the submerged electrodes. The upper sprocket wheel is only partially submerged in the electrolyte and all the gas released from the receptacles is collected by a single above-water outlet pipe.
The present invention marks a substantial improvement over the Borsos and other prior art devices. First, the present invention is not restricted to an enclosed container, but rather may be adapted to operate in large bodies of water such as a pond, lake, or ocean. This is advantageous because there are no dimensional restrictions placed on the apparatus of the present invention. The abundant supply of electrolyte (water) in such large bodies also alleviates any possible problem of pumping or recirculating the electrolyte to maintain its proper level in the container. Furthermore, it is proven that the electrolytic process operates more efficiently under greater pressures, as may be obtained in such large bodies of water.
Second, the present invention separately harnesses the hydrogen and oxygen gas bubbles produced at the electrodes using two separate columns of receptacles and then separately collects the gases as they are released. This is advantageous because both gases are presently in great economic demand thereby making their separate collection a significant advance over the prior art.
Third, the entire apparatus of the present invention is submerged in water. By so doing, no energy is wasted combating gravitational forces, as occurs in Borsos when the receptacles move around the partially-submerged upper wheel. Also unlike Borsos, having the separate collecting means under water greatly enhances the collecting operation while also providing a natural buoyant gas pressure in the collecting chambers which significantly assists in pumping the gases to the awaiting storage containers. Finally, the totally-submerged apparatus of the present invention further broadens its versatility by allowing the present invention to be submerged far below the surface of a particular body or container of water.
Fourth, the simultaneously-generated electricity may be fed back into the electrolytic generator in order to reduce the net energy consumption of this hydrogen and oxygen-producing plant. When the self-generated electricity is utilized within the plant, the efficiency of the apparatus improves due to savings in the transportation and/or storage of electric power.